I have noticed on Stug 531-8 that the transmission hatches open to the front & not to the sides as the other stug's. Is this a feature from the Miag factory? Is the hull a normal stug hull or a converted panzer III hull? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Sambo wrote:. . . Is this a feature from the Miag factory? Is the hull a normal stug hull or a converted panzer III hull?

Quoting myself from my webpage:

"Acording to Spielbergers "Sturmgeschütz & It's Variants" the Alkett -factory started making the StuG 40 G in December 1942 and MIAG started in February 1943. Furthermore, Alkett started making the newer "interlocked-welded rear + all 80mm welded front hull armour" -substructures in May 1943, while MIAG used up the stock of already manufactured "straight-welded rear and 50 + 30mm bolted on front armour" -substructures. The last vehicles with the older parts left the MIAG factory in October 1943."

Yes, the hatches opening up to the front is a MIAG feature. But the story is longer than that:

Ps.531-8 is not typical for the MIAG-factory per say. Most of the MIAG-produced StuGs had the front hatches opening up to the sides as we are used to see. None of the other MIAG-produced StuGs that reached Finland had these Panzer III -like hatches.

But then again, Ps.531-8 is typical for the MIAG-factory in the way that they in the early days of production were using up their old StuG F and F/8 -parts. I believe that the hull is from the F-series of StuGs.